14 



August Krogh and Marie Krogh. 



even 20^/0 wrong or more, the main result cannot be doubted. The 

 food of the Eskimos, while containing a normal amount of energy, is ex- 

 tremely rich in protein and fat, and contains an exceedingly small 

 amount of carbohydrate, of which moreover about ^ is represented 

 by glycogen contained in the meat^ 



The food of the Eskimos is by no means regularly forthcoming 

 but times of abundance alternate with periods when seals are scarce 

 or even unobtainable. The other sources of supply may also give out 

 occassionally in winter and, as the Eskimos are extremely improvident, 

 times of actual, though never complete, starvation are not unfrequent. 

 The Eskimos prepare for such times chiefly by laying up stores of fat 

 in their bodies during the time of plenty. Rink expresses the opinion 

 that young and robust people may during several months when seals 

 are abundant eat 4 kg. meat per day or even more. 



The dietary habits of Eskimos present an extremely close ana- 

 logy to those of the large carnivorous animals. An Eskimo seal hunter 

 will rise early in the morning and take no food except a cup of water, 

 soup or nowadays generally coffee. He will go out to hunt either 

 without food or provided with a small lump of dried or frozen meat. 

 He will return in the afternoon (generally about 3 or 4) and as soon 

 as the meat can be got ready he will fill himself to the limit of his 

 capacity and then lie down to sleep for a couple of hours. After that 

 he will talk and enjoy himself and generally he will take another meal 

 before turning in and for this last meal of the day fish is often preferred 

 even if meat is at hand. 



On sledge journeys during the winter in the North the same dietary 

 habits are observed. The provisions on such journeys consist of dry 

 or frozen meat and blubber. When a full meal of frozen meat (tp. 

 • — 30° G. or lower) is taken at night the first effect is a feeling of extreme 

 cold with much shivering but half an hour later the heat producing 



^ Since Rink's time the use of bread as an article of diet has steadily 

 increased among the Eskimos, and the average consumption of bread would now 

 probably amount to 200 gr. per day. 



